


Alone Will Be Something I'll Never Let You Be

by RobinPlaysTrumpet15



Series: Those Eight Months [3]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Bedtime Stories, Family, Family Feels, Feels, Fluff, Gen, Light Angst, Love, oh! the places you'll go, story time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-26
Updated: 2019-02-26
Packaged: 2019-11-05 20:27:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17925788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobinPlaysTrumpet15/pseuds/RobinPlaysTrumpet15
Summary: Riku is asked to read a bedtime story. The chosen story hits a little close to home.





	Alone Will Be Something I'll Never Let You Be

**Author's Note:**

> Mikey is an original character of mine. He is Riku's younger brother and a recurring character in this series (Those Eight Months). If you have no read the other installments of this series, you don't need to. This can be a stand alone. But they do help with insight into where Mikey fits in here. Other than that, I hope you like this!

“Big Brother!”

Riku paused on his way past Mikey’s door. It was eight thirty already and he’d just gotten back from Sora’s house, the younger teen in tow behind him. School had been rough that day, and he was incredibly thankful that tomorrow was Saturday. Sora was staying over tonight.

But eight thirty meant past bedtime for a certain four year old.

Riku turned, his gaze settling on Mikey, sitting up in his bed with the lights off. He smiled at him softly.

“Hey, Mikey,” he greeted in an almost whisper, stepping into the doorway. His form blocked the hallway light and cast Mikey into his shadow. “What are you still doing awake?”

“Waiting for you,” the little boy responded, clearly sleepy.

“Is that right?” Mikey nodded. “Well, I’m home now. So it’s sleep time.”

But Mikey shook his head no.

“No?”

Another shake.

“Why not?”

“Will you read me a story?”

Riku felt Sora lean up behind him, a smaller hand slipping underneath the strap of his bag and taking its weight from him.

“I’m gonna change, okay?” Sora whispered as close to Riku’s ear as he could get on his tip toes.

“Alright,” he agreed under his breath. Then he turned back to Mikey. “Okay. Why don’t you pick out a story, and Sora and I are going to change. Good?”

“Good,” the little boy agreed eagerly, pushing away his neatly tucked blankets to climb out of bed.

Riku smiled again at his younger brother before turning and following Sora into his own bedroom across the hall.

Sora smiled at him once the door was closed.

“Look at you being a good big brother,” he teased.

Riku rolled his eyes, unbuttoning his school shirt. “Oh shove it. Like you haven’t seen this before. We’ve been home three months already.”

Sora hummed at him, tossing his own white button up on the floor by his overnight bag. He crouched, rummaging through the bag for whatever shirt he’d brought to sleep in.

Riku turned, shucking off his pants and pulling out a plain t-shirt and a soft pair of sweats from his dresser. His uniform went into the hamper, his sneakers into the closet. Sora was resting on the edge of his mattress when he turned back around, attention focused on the book they were reading for their English class. It was just the two of them, so they had been reading it together.

“Are you not going to join in for story time?” Riku half teased at him. He found he was at least partly genuinely sincere about the question as well. Sora loved to watch Riku being an older brother, likely due to the fact that Riku hadn’t been a very good older brother leading up to their “disappearance”.

Sora shook his head. “Nah, I’m gonna try and knock out the rest of this chapter before we do anything else tonight. I didn’t like Ms. Johnson’s disappointed look in class today.”

Riku huffed a chuckled at him. Whatever.

Mikey was sitting in his bed with his little seashell lamp on when Riku went back.

“You took forever!” Mikey complained.

“It was only a few minutes, you little sewer-baby!” Riku teased right back. The four year old laughed at their inside joke.

Riku grunted softly as he settled himself on the tiny bed and leaned against the wall. Mikey slotted himself up against Riku’s side immediately.

“Alright,” he groaned lightly, ignoring the slight creek of the toddler bed beneath him, “what have you chosen for tonight?”

Mikey shoved a brightly colored Dr. Seuss book into his lap.

“ _Oh, The Places You’ll Go!_ ”

Riku looked down at the book fondly. He hadn’t read this story in ages… Literally not for years. Their father had had a certain way of reading it that Riku had always loved as a child. Mom wasn’t allowed to read it because she didn’t make it sound right. Which seemed so childish now, looking back.

“Good choice,” he complimented, holding the old, worn book gently as he opened it.

He took a deep breath before looking down at his brother and smiling. Mikey returned with a wide, baby-toothed grin.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Ready,” Mikey agreed.

So Riku began reading.

_“Congratulations!_   
_Today is your day._   
_You’re off to Great Places!_   
_You’re off and away!_

_“You have brains in your head._   
_You have feet in your shoes._   
_You can steer yourself_   
_any direction you choose._   
_You’re on your own. And you know what you know._   
_And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”_

Mikey giggled. Riku couldn’t help was smile at the sound.

_“You’ll look up and down streets._   
_Look ‘em over with care._   
_About some you will say,_   
_“I don’t choose to go there.”_   
_With your head full of brains and you shoes full of feet,_   
_you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street._

_“And you may not find any_   
_you’ll want to go down._   
_In that case, of course,_   
_you’ll head straight out of town._

_“It’s opener there_   
_in the wide open air._

_“Out there things can happen_   
_and frequently do_   
_to people as brainy_   
_and footsy as you._

_“And when things start to happen,_   
_don’t worry. Don’t stew._   
_Just go right along._   
_You’ll start happening too._

_“OH!_   
_THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!”_

Mikey laughed at the odd tone of voice Riku attempted. He had to match the caps of course, but he wouldn’t yell. That would just alert his mother so Mikey still being awake. And of course, that was a no-no.

_“You’ll be on your way up!_   
_You’ll be seeing great sights!_   
_You’ll join the high fliers_   
_who soar to high heights._

_“You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed._   
_You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead._   
_Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best._   
_Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.”_

Riku paused. He remembered suddenly what was coming next. He lowered his voice and took down the excitement in his tone.

_“Except when you don’t_   
_Because, sometimes, you won’t.”_

Mikey let out a sad little, “oh”.

Riku took a breath. Suddenly this story was hitting a little close. But he could make it through this. Just a cute little story to put his baby brother to bed.

_“I’m sorry to say so_   
_but, sadly, it’s true_   
_that Bang-ups and Hang-ups_   
_can happen to you._

_“You can get all hung up_   
_in a prickle-ly perch._   
_And your gang will fly on._   
_You’ll be left in a Lurch._

_“You’ll come down from the Lurch_   
_with an unpleasant bump._   
_And the chances are, then,_   
_that you’ll be in a Slump.”_

Riku took a breath, clearing his throat gently.

_“And when you’re in a Slump,_   
_you’re not in for much fun._   
_Un-slumping yourself_   
_is not easily done._

_“You’ll come to a place where the streets are not marked._   
_Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked._   
_A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!_   
_Do you stare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?_   
_How much can you lose? How much can you win?”_

Suddenly Riku thought to himself that this story was going somewhere he was all too familiar with. His chest ached in an uncomfortable way.

Mikey snuggled further into Riku’s side. His silver hair stuck out in an odd angle from where it must have dried earlier in the day.

_“And IF you go in, should you turn left or right…_   
_or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?_   
_Or go around back and sneak in from behind?_   
_Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find,_   
_for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind._

_“You can get so confused_   
_that you’ll start in to race_   
_down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace_   
_and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,_   
_headed, I fear, toward a most useless place._   
_The Waiting Place…”_

His heart dropped.

_“...for people just waiting._   
_Waiting for a train to go_   
_or a bus to come, or a plane to go_   
_or the mail to come, or the rain to go_   
_or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow_   
_or waiting around for a Yes or a No_   
_or waiting for their hair to grow._   
_Everyone is just waiting._

_“Waiting for the fish to bite_   
_or waiting for wind to fly a kite_   
_or waiting around for Friday night_   
_or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake_   
_or a pot to boil, or a Better Break_   
_or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants_   
_or a wig with curls, or Another Chance._   
_Everyone is just waiting.”_

Riku’s throat burned in an achingly familiar way. He waited as the tears began to come, willing them back. Because he wouldn’t cry. Not here. Not over this. Not in front of his brother.

So he flipped the page and continued on, shocking himself at the clear and level tone he continued, exclaiming,

_“NO!_   
_That’s not for you!_

_“Somehow you’ll escape_   
_all that waiting and staying._   
_You’ll find the bright places_   
_where the Boom Bands are playing.”_

Mikey cheered excitedly, coaxing a smile from his older brother that was only just a little wobbly.

_“With banner flip-flapping_   
_once more you’ll ride high!_   
_Ready for anything under the sky._   
_Ready because you’re that kind of guy._

_“Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done!_   
_There are points to be scored. There are games to be won._   
_And the magical things you can do with that ball_   
_will make you the winning-est winner of all._   
_Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be,_   
_with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.”_

Riku was ready for it this time.

_“Except when they don’t._   
_Because, sometimes, they won’t._

_“I’m afraid that some times_   
_you’ll play lonely games too._   
_Games you can’t win_   
_‘cause you’ll play against you.”_

He felt his throat catch and his voice wobble just a little. But Mikey didn’t seem to notice.

_“All Alone!_   
_Whether you like it or not,_   
_Alone will be something_   
_you’ll be quite a lot._

_“And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance_   
_you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants._   
_There are some, down the road between hither and yon,_   
_that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.”_

Thoughts of Darkness bubbled up to the surface. Countless Heartless around every turn, no one around and the pressing feeling like you’re being watched.

_“But on you will go_   
_though the weather be foul._   
_On you will go_   
_though your enemies prowl._   
_On you will go_   
_though the Hakken-Kraks howl._   
_Onward up many_   
_a frightening creek,_   
_though your arms may get sore_   
_and your sneakers may leak._

_“On and on you will hike_   
_and I know you’ll hike far_   
_and face up to your problems_   
_whatever they are._

_“You’ll get mixed up, of course,_   
_as you already know._   
_You’ll get mixed up_   
_with many strange birds as you go._   
_So be sure when you step._   
_Step with care and great tact_   
_and remember that Life’s_   
_a Great Balancing Act._   
_Just never forget to be dexterous and deft._   
_And never mix up your right foot with your left.”_

The aching feeling was lessening slightly, helped by the warmth of a four year old and his sleepy little smile.

_“And will you succeed?_   
_Yes! You will, indeed!_   
_(98 and 3 / 4 percent guaranteed.)”_

*

Sora leaned his head back against the hallway wall. He was sure Riku couldn’t see him from his seat on Mikey’s bed.

He’d told Riku that he was going to finish that chapter, but that had gone straight out the window within a few pages of the story. Riku hadn’t closed either door on his way over. From across the hall, Riku’s voice had taken on a special kind of enthusiastic story-telling quality, his tone rising and falling with the words.

So he’d carefully set aside the dumb English book he’d been reading, more interested in his best friend’s voice. Sora sat hidden on the floor, listening silently. He thought he might be crying.

“Kid, you’ll move mountains,” Sora heard Riku sigh. It sent a fresh wave of tears rolling down Sora’s cheeks. His tone was so soft and vulnerable and full of what Sora was positive was the purest kind of love.

_“So…_   
_be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray_   
_or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,_   
_you’re off to Great Places!_   
_Today is your day!_   
_Your mountain is waiting._   
_So...get on your way!”_

Sora sniffled to himself, wiping at his nose and scrubbing the salty tears from his face. He huffed and shoved himself back to his feet, tip toeing his way to the end of the hall. He could seclude himself in the bathroom for a few minutes until it no longer looked like he’d been crying or listening in at all.

*

Riku closed the old book carefully, setting it aside. Mikey took the hint as he yawned, shifting onto his knees and leaning up for a hug. The older smiled fondly, hugging the four year old and pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

He shuffled off the side of the bed, letting Mikey situate himself back against his pillows, then tucked him in, nice and tight.

“Just like Mommy does it!” Mikey complimented.

Riku hummed his agreement.

“Do you want your nightlight on or off?”

“Off!” Mikey proclaimed. “I’m a big boy! Big boy’s aren’t scared of the dark, Riku!”

Riku’s breath left him in a too-sharp exhale that he tried to play off as a snort. He couldn’t tell if it worked or not.

“Okay then.” He left the nightlight off, and reached over to click off the lamp beside him.

“G’night, Riku,” Mikey mumbled sleepily, dropping off to his dream world quickly.

“Good night, Mikey,” Riku replied, leaning over again and kissing the boy on the forehead. He stayed just a moment, watching his younger brother’s breath even out.

Riku didn’t want him to go through anything like what he’d experienced. He wanted to shelter Mikey from all of that. Not just Riku’s mistakes, but also from the feelings that came with them. The sadness, the emptiness, the loneliness.

Mikey should never have to feel alone. Not if Riku had anything to say about it.

“Alone will be something I’ll never let you be,” he promised, almost silently, before finally standing and turning to leave.

He left the door cracked and the hallway light on. Because no matter how not scared Mikey was, even big boys needed some light to guide their way through the dark.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you liked this. If you have ideas or suggestions for stories in this series with Mikey or anyone else, please let me know! Also feel free to point out any typos or grammar mistakes you catch so I can correct them. Thanks!
> 
> Also note: the book used in this story is _Oh, The Places You'll Go!_ by Dr. Seuss. I do not own it.


End file.
